Retinoscope



May l5, 1931.

J. COPELAND RETINOSCOPE Filed June 9, 1927 Jil/@7025? fQC/J (92656/7265 5y w kf. /7

Patented May 5, 1931 JACOB CGPELAND, OF CH'LCAGO, ILLINOS, ASSIGNGR TO RIGGS OPTICAL COMPANY-CON- SLIEDATED, A CGREURATIN RETIIQ'OSCOPE Application led June 9,

The invention relates to improvements in retinoscopes, and has as its principal object the improvement of a construction such as that shown and described in the patent issued to me November 8, 1927, Patent No. 1,648,013.

The device forming the basis of the above application includes a lamp which provides means for producing a beam'of light of ribbon formation in combination with means for reflecting said beam into the eye of a patient and rotating both the beam of incidence and reflection in synchronism with each other to thereby measure the angularity of the axis of the retina of the eye.

The present invention primarily relatesto improvements in the construction of a device operable in a manner similar tol thatshown and described in the above mentioned application so that the device is simplifiedin construction and, therefore, may be more readily assembled during manufacture, and in which the parts are more readily accessible in the event of repairs becoming necessary.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to construct an element employed in the device and to associate therewith certain other elements so as to produce aV unitary element which may be kconveniently associated or removed from association with other elements f the device, with respect tothe latter of which said unitary device is movable to obtain certain adjustments and to accomplish the desired end.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an extremely simple means for holding said unitary adjustable element in any of its various positions of adjustment.

It is a further object of the invention to improve certain other elements of the construction, such as the hood or housing in which a reflector and other elements of the device are located.

The invention has these and `other features, all of which will be explained in detailV and more readily understood when read lin con- Serial 'o. 197,576.

'unctionwith the accom an ino' drawings it i C) C being obvious that changes and modifications of these features may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the appended claims.

in the drawings:

.Fig 1 is a central longitudinal section of a retinoscope embodyingl features of advantage;

F ig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a portion illustrated in Fig. 1;

- Fig.- 4l is an elevational view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 g and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of means for holding certain conductors in unitary relation with the reciprocable element employed in the structure. Y

in the embodiment of 'the invention disclosed in the drawings, the use a tubular element 1() is contemplated which forms a handle whereby the device may be held while being used during the examination of the eye of a patient. One end of the tubular element is threaded as at 11 to allow the association therewith of the tubular connecting member 12. The upper end of this last mentioned connecting member 12 is provided with a part 13 which is fitted into an element 1li of the housing 15 in which is located are flcctor 1G. The tubular clement 10 is provided with an opening 17 which extends longitudinally and circumferentially a suitable distance thereof to allow longitudinal and circumferential movement of the lamp mounting generally designated 18, which lamp mouming is arranged within the tubular element 10. A. sleeve 19 is arranged er;- teriorly of the tubular element 10 adjacent to the opening 17 and is connected with thc lamp mounting A8 to edect the longitudinal and rotative movement of the mounting.

A means isi employed to effect a frictional resistance between the sleeve 19 and the tubu- Iii lar element to thereby hold said sleeve and its `associated elements, such as the lamp mounting 18, in its various positions of rotative and longitudinal adjustment. This means in the present instance consists of rings such as --20 which are of some suitable fabric, such as velvet, which are interposed between the sleeve and the tubular handle and which are preferably secured to the sleeve.

The mounting generally designated 18 is formed of a tube 23 of insulation which is slidably arranged within the tubular element 10 forming the handle. This tube 23 is connected with the sleeve 19 by means of the screw 24 and thus when the sleeve 19 is rotated or moved longitudinally of the handle, the tube 23 will also be actuated.

The tube 23 carries contact-making elements for the lamp 25, which lamp is removably arranged in a socket 26 mounted in an end of said tube 23. A yieldable contact element 27 is arranged longitudinally of the bore of the tube 23, and is arranged for movement within the bore of the tube 18 and provides the center contact for the lamp which lamp has a filament which will produce a flat or ribbon-like beam of light. This yieldable contact element 27 is mounted for reciprocation within the tube 18 and has one end thereof arranged within the insulator 27 which is carried by th-e lamp socket 26. The opposite end of the contact element 27 is slidably arranged in a plug 28 which is arranged within and stationarily secured to the slidable tube 18 by means of a screw 29. This contact element 27 is provided with an enlargement 30 and a coiled spring 31 is arranged upon said element between the enlargement and the plug 28 which will thus maintain the end of said contact element having the stop 32 in yieldable contact with the shell of the lamp when the latter is arranged within the socket 26. The plugr 28 is provided with a slot 33 to allow one of the conductors, such as 34, to be ar ranged within the tube 18 and be connected with the shell of the lamp socket 26. A conductor 35 has an end connected with the rod or plunger of the contact element 27 and thus when these conductors are connected with a source of current, the lamp 25 will 18 and caused to grip the conductors by means of the screws 38-38 which are threaded into the tubular member and caused to engage the bifurcated parts of the member 36 which will grip the conductors and protect the connection between the conductors and the elements to which the conductors are attached.

The tubular connector 12 carries a bi-conven lens 39 and the adjacent end of the connector is formed to provide the tapered end 40 which is removably fitted into an aperture 41 provided in the lug 14 which projects from the face plate 42 of the. housing, generally designated 15. The housing has an aperture 43 to permit connection being made between the end of the connector 12 and the lug 14.

The face plate 42 is provided with a sight opening 44 which is in axial alignment with the opening 45 provided in the housing. The face plate 42 also carries the refiector 16, which reflector has a portion thereof, as 46, denuded of any reflecting surface, making this portion transparent, which will thus in effect produce a sight opening 47 which is in alignment with the sight openings respectively provided in the face plate and housing 15. This reflector 16 is mounted in an element 48 which is fastened by means of thc screws 49 to the face plate.

The perimeter of the face plate is formed to produce the annular groove 50 into which the edge of the housing 15 is fitted. The edge of the housing is provided with apertures 51 and 52 with which a pin 53 and a projection 54 provided in the face plate are adapted to co-operate to form a detachable connection between the face plate and the housing.

From the foregoing description, it is manifest that the elements entering into the construction are capable of being readily associated with and disassociated from each other in the event of repairs becoming necessary.

It is manifest that by the use of the tubular element 18 which carries the lamp socket and the connections to the socket, a device is provided which may be assembled and in serted within the handle as a unit, which materially reduces the work involved in assembling the device.

It is further evident that by employing the sleeve 19 and the opening 17, and connecting the sleeve to the tubular element 18, that the latter y be rotated and recipron Ywithin the handle to thereby cause a variation of the dimension of the. beam emanating from the lamp and its reflection from the reflector 16, the latter being transmitted therefrom through the opening 45 intothe eye of the patient.

Havingthus described the invention` what I claim and desire to cover by Letters Patent is :V

" 1. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a hollow member providing a handle having a housing mounted at one end thereof, said housing having sight openings, a reflector located in the housing, a tubular element connected with and mounted for rotation and reciprocation within said hollow handle, a lamp mounted in one end of the tubular element, connections for said lamp also arranged in the tubular reciprocable element, said connections including a reciprocable element having a flexible conductor connected therewith, a support for said reciprocable element located in said tubular element between the ends thereof, and means located in said reciprocable element for frictionally holding` said flexible conductor with relatio-n to said tubular elenient.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a tubular handle member having a housing mounted at one end thereof having sight openings therein, a reflector located in said housing, an element reciprocably mounted in said handle, said element having a lamp soclret arranged at one end thereof, and connections leading to said lamp socket, said element being arranged in said tubular member for movement longitudinally of said handle, means arranged to slide upon said tubular member, said means being connected with said reciprocable element to actuate it, and means located between said means and tubular member for holding said reciprocable element in various positions relatively to said tubular member.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a tubular handle member having a housing mounted at one end thereof having sight openings therein, a reflector located in said housing, an element having a lamp socket arranged at one end thereof, and connections leading to said lamp socket, said element being arranged for reciprocation and rotation in said tubular handle member,means arranged to slide upon said tubular member, said means being connected with said reciprocable element to actuate it, and means located between said sleeve and tubular handle member for holding said reciprocable element in various positions of reciprocation and rotation.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a tubular handle member vhaving a housing mounted at one end therevieldable element arranged within said reciprocable element, conductors extending through said handle and reciprocalole `element to said yieldable element and socket,

" and a holding element located in said reciprocable element, providing means for engaging and holding said conductors with Vrespect to said reciprocable'element.

5. ln a device of the' character described havinga hollow handle, a housing secured to the handle, a reflector located inl said housing, said housing and reflector having sight openings, in combination with an element having -a llamp socket, ilexible conductors having an end thereof connected with said socket with the opposite ends extendingtherefrom through and beyond one end of said element, means located in said element for engaging said conductors between the ends thereof to hold the conductors and element against separation, said element being insertable into said hollow handle through an end of' said handle with a portion of the flexible conductors eX- tending from said handle, and means carried by said handle connected with said element for moving said element with respect to said handle.

6. In a device of the character described having a tubular handle, a housing secured to the handle, a reflector located in said housing, said housing and reliector having sight openings, in combination with an element having a lamp socket, flexible conductors one of which has an end thereof connected with said socket, a yieldable contact, one of said conductors being connected with said yieldable contact, a support for the yieldable contact, said flexible conductors being eX- tended through and beyond one end of said element, means for engaging said `flexible conductors between the ends thereof to thereby hold said conductors relativelv to the tubular element, said element being insertable into said tubular handle through an end of said handle with a portion of the flexible conductors extending from said handle, and means carried by said handle connected with said element for moving said element with respect to said handle, said handle having an opening whereby said element may be rotated and reciprocated within said handle.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a handle having a lamp located therein, a head detachably secured to an end of said handle, said head including a hood and a face plate closing one end of the head, a reflector attached to the face plate, sights in the hood, face plate and reflector, means whereby said handle may be detachably connected with the face plate to support the head upon said end of the handle, said hood and plate having means providing a detachable connection between the hood and face plate.

S. In a device of the character described, the combination of a handle, a lamp located therein, a head detachably connected with the handle, said head including a hood and a face plate providing a closure for one end of the hood, said hood having an opening7 an apertured lug and a reflector located above the lug', Said lug and reflector being arranged and connected to one side of the face plate and the lngproviding means for separahly connecting the hood and handle, said hood and face plate having means for detaohably connecting said hood and face plate, said hood, face plate and reector having aligned sights.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my nume this 3rd day of June, A. D. 1927. JACOB COPELAND. 

